Bottle cap and method of applying the same



July 7, 1931'. H. w. MARTIN 1,813,063

BOTTLE GAP AND METHOD Of APPLYING THE SAME Filed Dec". z8. 1927 Patented July 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT vOFFICE:

HAROLD W. MARTIN, OF NATICK, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO AMERICAN SEAL-KAP CORPORATION, OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK,

A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE BOTTLE CAT AND METHOD OF .APPLYING THE SAME Application filed December 28, 1927. Serial No. 243,157.

In Patent No. 1,668,349 of Ewald Gr. Baum, granted May l, 1928, is disclosed a method of making paper articles, such, for example,

as milk bottle caps in which portions com- 6 posed of overlapping folds of a properly presome extent the resistance of the article to being injured thereby.

In the case of milk bottle caps a certain amount of distortionl of the outer margin of the pouring lip housing without permanent D damage would be quite desirable and it is the primary object of this invention to produce such articles wherein such distortion may be effected without damage and while retaining substantially the full advantage incident to 5 the general treatment set forth in the Baum patent hereinbefore mentioned.

To this end the excess material o-f the waxed paper instead of being gathered in tight overlapping folds is gathered to some extentvat least in outwardly extending ribs and is heavily compacted in such condition.

vThese ribs can be opened up by applying force in the proper direction thereto without causing any tearing apart of bers which i have been heavily compacted together into intimate contact. This 'makes possible the application of suihcient force on the caps to stretch their marginal edges over the pouring lip housing of the bottle and if desired to such an extent that the outer edge of the cap may be engaged tightly about and some- Wha-t beneath the pouring lip and yet without causing such damage tothe cap as might cause it to fbe less able to successfully withstand the action of moisture. By the engagement of the cap with the under side of the pouring lip where it' is of smaller diameter, the tenacity with which the cap holds to the bottle is increased. l

The ribs on the outer face of the cap are useful also from the fac-t that they impart a distinctive appearance and feel to the hand, so different from that of the caps not so formed that When used in connection with milk bottles containing a special grade of milk only, such bottles may be readily distinguished from those bottles containing other grades of milk. The distinctive feel of the cap is of importance, due to the fact that deliveries of milk to customers are usually made during hours of darkness where mistakes might easily be made were distinctive appearance only relied upon. The added security of sealing by the more extensive and tighter engagement of the caps over and beneath the pouring lip housings make suc-h caps particularly suitable for use in connection with the best grades of milk such as certified milk.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings showing a milk bottle cap constructed according to this invention and in which Figures l and 2 are topand inverted plan views of one portion of .a milk bottle cap before being applied to a bottle.A

Figure 3 is an elevation partly broken away of the same.

Figures 4 and 5 are fragmentary sections showing successive stages in the applica-tion of a cap to a bottle.

Figure 6 is a detail section on line 6 6 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a view similar to a portion of Figure 6, but illustrating the stretching of the cap margin as it passes from the position of Figure 4 tothat of Figure 5.

Referring to these ligures, it will be seen that the cap comprises a central bore covering portion 1 which in its preferred form is upwardly arched. This bore covering portion is provided with a margin 2 arranged to seat on the usual internal annular ledge 3 of the milk bottle, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. If desired, and which is regarded as the preferred construction a. reinforcing disk 4 may be superposed over the bore coverin portion 1 and over the margin 2. EX- tendlng upwardly from the outer edge of the portion 2 is an annular pouring lip housing 5 which is arranged to extend over the pouring lip 6 of the bottle. It will be noted from an inspection of Figures 4 and 5 that this pouring lip extends outwardly so that it is of larger diameter than the neck portion 7 of the bott-le therebeneath and that the cap as made has its pouring lip housing 5 somewhat higher than the pouring 'lip above the ledge 3.

The cap may be formed, as described in the Baum patent hereinbefore referred to, 4from a flat blank of paper or cardboard, initially treated with wax, the fiat blank being molded to forni. In molding up the pouring lip housing the material of the blank inust be gathered together, and as shown, a portion at least of this material is concentrated iniadially extending ribs 10, which as shown extend from a position somewhat above the ledge-engaging portion 2upwardly over the top of the pouring lip housing and down on its outer face to its extreme edge. This material is gathereihas shown in Fig- Vure 6, so as to present externally of the cap,

the rounded radially arranged rib or bead portions 10 spaced by portions 11 of substantially uniform thickness and slightly arcuate, their centers of curvature being substantially the center of the cap. The inner face of the pouring lip housing presents a substantially smooth surface as at 12, there being opposite to the 'ribs 10, portions 14 and'15, which are folded into contact as at 16. The portions 11 are substantially nonstretcliable, while the interveningportions 10 are stretchable and resilient. The cap during its molding operation and While the fibers of the paper are in soft swollen condition as by treatment with water is [subjccted to such heavyr pressure that the'pouring lip housing particularly on its outer face, and any other portions which may be desired, are reduced to a dense substantially horn-like structure as is set forth in the Baum patent hereinbefore referred to. The portions 14 and 15, however, are not compacted together into intimatev contact so that when a stretching force is applied to the cap, these portions may separate from each other, opening up at 16 somewhat, as shown in Figure 7 in an exaggerated degree, without causing any substantial tearing apart of the compacted fibers of the paper which mi ht result in exposing the loosened fibers to t e action ofA moisture. Thus a certain amount of stretching and distortion may be applied to the cap without so damaging it as to make it subject to injury from moisture entering the fibers and tending Ato cause the cap margin to fia-re.

The cap as thus constructed, and preferably with the reinforcing disk in position,

isinitially placed and seated on the bottle i as shown in Figure 4, the capping plunger 2O 4by which such seating may be effected being shown as raised somewhat above the cap iii this figure for the sake of clarity. The pouring lip housin in this position extends above the top of t e bottle pourin lip and its outer edge extends downwardly a out the outer face of this lip. Pressure may then be exerted on the cap in a direction to roll outwardly the upper portion of the pouring lip housing to cause it to more nearly conform to the upper edge of the pouring lip, into the position shown in Figure 5, this pressure acting to stretch the outer margin of the housing about the pouring lip and then to roll itA inunder the pouring lip, the por-v tions 14 and 15 of each of the ribs closing together more or less again after the initial stretching, which has been illustrated in connection with Figure 5, has permitted this portion of the cap to pass around the lip` The margin of the housing bears against the under side of the lip by its inherent resiliency, requiring no fastening or tying devices to hold it in firm engagement therewith.

The manner in which this pressure may be exerted may be seen from an inspection of Figure 4, in which the applying plunger is shown as provided with a. central portion 21 for enga-gement with the central portion of the bore covering portion, an annular portion 22 which engages the cap above the ledge 3 and seats it firmly thereagainst, and an outwardly and upwardly curved marginal portion 23 which first engages against the inner side of the pouring lip housing adjacent its upper portion and, as the plunger continues to descend, effects a progressive pressure outwardly over the top of the pouring lip housing until it is firmly seated thereon as shownv in dotted lines in Fi ure 5. This pressure produces a rolling e ect on the pouring lip housing -which causes its outer margin to move inwardly toward the' neck portion of the bottle around and beneath the pouring lip into substantiallythe position shown in Figure 5. The capacity for stretching possessed by the pouring lip housing by virtue of its construction, permits such action to take lplace even though the lip considerably miss apen, without opening up the compacted fibers in such a way as to permit moisture to gain access thereto, the cap in its finally seated position being inherently resistant to moisture and holding to the bottle with great tenacity.

Having-thus described an embodiment of this invention and its manner of use, it should be evident that various changes and modifications might be made therein without departing from its spirit or scope as defined by the appended claims.

I claim: l Y

1. A milk bottle ca shaped prior to attachment to the bott e and comprising la .waxed paper disk formed up with a marginal k above its bore covering portion,

pouring lip housing, the o uter wall of said housing having certain of its material gathered into folds presenting outwardly projecting ribs, the material of said housing including said ribs being compacted together into a dense horn-like structure highly resistant to moisture, said outer wall being stretchable by the opening up of said folds without substantial eli'ect on said dense struc-ture.

2. A bottle cap for application to a bottle having an internal annular ledge and a pouring lip above said ledge, said bottle cap having a bore covering portion for engagement with said ledge, and a pouring lip housing said housing being initially higher than said pouring 11p above said ledge and having a resilient outer margin to permit said housing portion to be rolled down toward the top of said. pouring lip and its margin to pass down and inwardly under said lip.

3. A bottle cap for application to a bottle having an internal ledge and a pouring lip above said ledge, said bottle cap comprising a waxed paper disk initially molded to present a bore coverin portion for engagement with said ledge, and a pouring lip housing higher than said pouring lip, the material of said disk being gathered together over said lip and compressed into a dense horn-like structure having outwardly projecting folds forming ribs extending to the outer edge of said housing, the material of said housing being yieldable by a partial opening of said folds without injury' to said horn-like structure to permit said pouring lip housing to be depressed against the top of said pouring lip and the margin of said pouring lip housing to spring under and contact with the lower part of said pouring lip.

4f. A bottle cap, for application to a, bottle having an internal annular ledge and a pouring lip above said ledge, said bottle cap having a bore covering portion for engagement with said ledge, and a pouring lip housing, said housing being initially higher than said pouring lip and having a resilient outer margin comprising non-stretchable portions with intervening stretchable resilient portions tov permit said housing portion to be pressed down toward the top of the pouring lip, and itsnrgin to pass down and inwardly under sal p.,

'5; The step in the method of applying a bottle cap having a marginal pouring lip initially higher and having an outer margin comprising nonstretchable portiom with intervening stretchable resilient portions which comprises ap' plymg a force to the inner and upper portion of said housing in a direction to roll down over the top of said pourthan the bottle pouring lip' signature.

HAROLD W. MARTIN.

said housmg ing lip an with the outer marginvof said contracted in under said lip. e step in the method of applying a 

